Asia

The District Education Office (DEO) in Mirpur Khas, a district of Sindh province in Pakistan, illegally suspended 15 teachers and transferred 50 teachers to work in another area. The action was prompted when a teacher clashed with DEO after she was refused maternity leave. A district education officer made a visit to the school following this incident and dismissed 15 teachers in retaliation. There are 22 teachers working at this school, which has around 600 students. The primary teachers’ association immediately organised a protest. The Workers’ Alliance in Sindh also given its support and joined the protest.

Not only did the DEO office refuse to talk to the protesters or reinstate the teachers, it has taken further action against the teachers who are protesting in solidarity. Fifty teachers were told they would be transferred to posts elsewhere, causing enormous problems to them. The education officer also made threatening phone calls to teachers who are members of the union.

The protests have grown as the parents and supporters of local teachers join in. A regular protest is held outside the press club in Mirpurkhas. Some teachers are also conducting daily fasting in protest.

In a desperate attempt to break the protests, the DEO office made fake complains to the police. This led to police raiding the homes of union leaders. Teachers are now demanding this repression must stop immediately.

They demand:

An investigation is held and action is taken against district education officer

Reinstate all the dismissed teachers

Cancel all the transfer orders

End the non-payment of salaries which taken place without any reason or information given to teachers

Investigate the condition of the school don’t have enough facility despite receiving some funding.

Please send protests to:

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